Far From Home - بعيداً عن الوطن

Ages: 5+

Publisher: Independently published

Author: Diyala Rasul

Illustrator: Samar Nassar

Book Format: Paperback, 67 pages

Description

Dalia is an Arab American who moves back to her homeland to stay with her Teta. She and her friend the bear embark on adventure to discover the city with her Teta and embrace all that's beautiful in her new city. 

Why we love it

The author takes us on a personal journey when she was younger and had to discover her new norm and new city in Palestine. The market depiction in the story is accurate to actual stores and people she's visited and met. The imagery is captivating and shows how intimate the city is. 

Note about the project

The illustrator, Sama Nassar, is a Gazan artist who collaborated with Diyala Rasul on this project for 10 months. In Diyala's words: 

"Before I began writing Far From Home, I knew I was going to work with someone from Gaza on this project. I had met a number of amazing movers & shakers from Gaza over the years and always thought it would be awesome to work together on a project like this. I just have to say, these people DO NOT disappoint. The talent they have, met with their dedication and sheer passion supersedes anything I've ever seen before.

Working with Samar for the last 10 months was a phenomenal experience. Not only did I find an illustrator for this book, but a life-long friend

The hours we spent back and forth, the endless iterations (bc its me), to the crazy 2 am phone calls (due to the lack of electricity on her end) proved to be a test of patience like no other. But she came through.

She came through using an outdated desktop computer that only turned on when the electricity was on. A good 5 hours a day max (that was on a really good day). That's dedication. It wasn't easy working on an 8-hour time difference, but we made it work. She made it work.

All this to say, there's always a way."